Just remember that you're viewing the world through the eyes of a child in this book and you'll really like Starla!

Did not receive/read in time due to technical error on kindle/tablet. Not having left feedback has due to error has impacted my shelves. Leaving 4 stars.

This is a heartwarming and captivating novel of a young girl’s journey through the Civil Right’s era in the South. The author masterfully weaves together themes of family, friendship, and discrimination, creating a story that is both poignant and uplifting.
Many thanks to Gallery Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I'm sorry for not being able to read this book, but I appreciate the opportunity to provide a review. I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher.

I'm not usually one to like books that are predictable but I thought this one was so well written that I was able to look past my pet peeve. It reminded me a lot of other books like The Secret Life of Bees and Saving CeeCee Honeycutt only I thought this one was much better. If only there had been more little girls like Starla in the South during those dark times in the 60s, thing might have turned around a bit faster than they did.

Favorite Quotes:

Whistling past the graveyard, that's what daddy called it when you did something to keep your mind off your most worstest fear.

You can't use other folks' bad behavior to excuse your own

I loved the setting of this book and how it showed what 1963 was like, since that was before I was born. Anyone who likes to read books in this time period will enjoy.

Whistling Past the Graveyard is one of those books that I will never forget. Susan Crandall is a master storyteller with characters that jump off the page and into your heart.

Told from the POV of whip-smart 9-year-old Starla Claudelle, we quickly get absorbed into the world of 1963 Mississippi in the era of the civil rights movement. Starla lives with her self-righteous grandmother but yearns to be with her mother in Nashville. After an incident, she runs away from home and is picked up on the road by a young black woman named Eula. Thus begins a dangerous, heartbreaking, and eye-opening adventure for both Starla and Eula.

Besides being smart, Starla is impulsive and feisty. She reminded me so much of Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird. It was brilliant for the author to make Starla the narrator because we see the world through her eyes, and we cannot but be reminded of what it felt like when we, too, as children came to learn about the hard truths in life. There were several times when I just burst into laughter and cracked up with how Starla saw things. And there were other times when I just wanted to hug her so tight to protect her from the world's ugliness.

The characterization in this novel is so well done. Each character stands out and I could very easily picture them in my mind. I loved being on this journey with Starla. Of being reminded of how fragile yet resilient the human spirit can be, even in the worst of circumstances. And of seeing how agape love is the uniting factor among people, no matter their race or skin color.

Whistling Past the Graveyard is a classic tale that I would recommend all to read. It's timely and the perfect read if you're currently seeking out books to help in your journey to being actively anti-racist. It's been on my reading list for so long and I'm so happy to have read it now. This novel is one of the best books I've read in 2020.

It seems I've picked several books recently that feature a road trip with unlikely characters. Set in the south, they are a good way to share cultural differences. In this a young white girl, raised by her strict grandmother runs away. While hitchhiking she is picked up by a black woman. This scenario creates a heartwarming coming-of-age story.

Lovely prose and very well written. A wonderful period piece as well. And a very striking cover! Still, not the book for me.

This started out a bit slow for me and I wasn’t sure how I felt. Sometimes I really wanted to give Starla a shake and had to remind myself she’s only 9! But by the time I got to the end I enjoyed it and I like how it turned out.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

i didnt like it found it boring.i didnt like it found it boring.i didnt like it found it boring.i didni didnt like it found it boring.i didnt like it found it boring.t like it found it boring.i didnt like it found it boring.

I finally finished this lovely novel. I originally received a copy of this book via Netgalley back in 2013 (OOPS!) But it showed up on my recommended reading list and I went back to the title. I am so glad that I did!

Susan Crandall does a lovely job of creating the world of Starla - who believes in a story about her mother so much that, when she gets in trouble at home, her blind faith sends her to look for her and finds experiences that she never imagined could exist in the world.

The real star of the novel, for me, is Eula, a penniless black woman who teaches Starla more about love and devotion than any of her natural family ever could.

If you are looking for a summer read with more substance than your standard Beach novel, I highly recommend Whistling Past The Graveyard by Susan Crandall.

I absolutely loved Susan Crandall's "Whistling Past the Graveyard". Easy to read and hard to put down. There were a couple parts that may be difficult for the empathetic reader to get through. Crandall covers some serious topics, such as racism and segregation, domestic abuse, murder, and the idea of rape is implied more that once. However, for the most part the tone is kept light with a note of humour often in the form of Starla's innocent and juvenile thoughts on matters.
An important read with all that's happening in the world right now with the 'Black Lives Matter' and the 'Me Too' movements.

I have no recollection of being sent this book, don't have it on the Kindle and haven't reviewed it. Since NetGalley made changes to its site I've found a few 'missing titles' like this.